Lamb or Goat Shoulder


 
R

r benash

TVWBB Emerald Member
Haven't done a cook in a good while. Lamb or goat keeps coming to mind. Thinking about shoulder mostly. Lamb shoulder I am pretty sure I can get. The price will range a bit. One location is a prime meats joint that sells Jamison lamb (Latrobe, PA).

Goat I'd have to ask around.

Either way it would be a shoulder. Done the searches here so I've seen some good ideas for rubs and temps.

I assume I should ask for a whole shoulder. Would you guys leave the bone in? Any reference to how heavy/much a whole lamb shoulder would be?

If you have a favorite rub, marinade, brine, or technique that would be great. There is some pretty good info already, but thought Easter would be a good time to revive the discussion.

Won't be cooking this Easter but probably the weekend following for sure. Will probably throw on a few other items as well.

I especially liked the "Weeping Lamb" technique with the potatoes on the bottom rack getting all crispy with the dripping fat.

Also saw Kevin's idea about an oatmeal recipe for underneath, which sounded good.
 
Go with bone in. Lamb shoulders are not at all large, often about 5 lbs including the shoulder-end ribs.

I choose marinades (if any) and rubs based a lot on what the sides will be. Any thoughts there? Or I choose a marinade and/or rub direction and then think of appropriate sides. Any thoughts there?
 
Still thinking about sides. One may be something green like broccoli rabe or collards. Still thinking of a second. I did like the sliced potatoes in the pan underneath the cooking shoulder, but wondering about something with a citrus flavor. Also thinkig about whether I would pull or slice. I also have bones from a leg awhile back if I need them for a base or stock for something.
 
A top-of-my-head thought in reading your post is pulled lamb (marinated in salted yogurt or buttermilk that has been pureed with onion, garlic, thyme and lemon) with the raab on the side, perhaps the lamb served over couscous or white rice that includes plumped currants and toasted pine nuts (maybe with a finishing drizzle of pomegranate molasses) and perhaps a sauce for the lamb of reduced lamb stock and tomato--almost like a tomato coulis with lamb demi--with perhaps a hint of honey.

Another that occurs to me: a rubbed shoulder (I'm thinking Aleppo, onion, garlic, the 3 peppercorns, thyme, sage), pulled, over rosemary-roasted garlic smashed potatoes that are returned to the pan for some browning here and there, with a side of broccoli spears or florets (or raab), steamed then tossed with red bell pepper confetti and finely crumbled feta. Maybe a little lamb-demi/dried sour cherry/rosemary/shallot/garlic sauce as a drizzle?
 
Well--if you'll indulge me, here's two more I just thought of whilst cleaning the porch: The first, an 'American' meal, the lamb rubbed with a more typical Q rub--say, a few different dried chiles toasted and ground, onion, garlic, thyme, marjoram, pepper, coriander, sugar, cumin, touch of cinnamon--slow-cooked then pulled; a side of green chile-hominy mixed with cheese and bacon then baked; a side of green beans with fried shallots; a side of diced ripe tomatoes (or halved cherry or grape tomatoes) tossed with sliced Kirby cukes, onion, vinegar, a little oil and a hint of sugar. A Kentucky-esque finishing sauce for the lamb (a little added during pulling; the rest on the side) of Worcestershire, vinegar, beer, some of the rub, water, sugar, etc.

The other thought: A rub of berbere, an Ethiopian spice blend with lots of heat and flavor; side of Eritrean-style collards (stew-y, tight though, with garlic and hot green chilies); side of shredded carrots tossed with a little vin, ginger and minced cilantro (raw; chilled); small side of stewed yellow lentils; side of cubed, spiced fried potatoes.
 
Ray, If you find some Goat, let me know please. I love me some goat and kraut.
icon_wink.gif
 
Ray

I do a lot of Lamb, at least once a fortnight, sometimes 1 or 2 times a week in spring. I like to cook the lamb to about 69C internal which is on the rare side of medium, (pink).
I always bone the leg fist then marinate it , just before cooking I roll it up ad tie it and then cook. I know there are arguments for both ways, however here is my reasons.
Lamb should be cooked medium rare to medium to retain the strong natural flavours. Withe the bone in, when you carve off the bone there are 2 ways either along the bone or down to the bone: along the bone some slices are well cooked others are all medium rare, whe cutting down to the bone there is a lot of wastage.
If you bone it out and marinate it inside as well as outside it gives you more flaavour through the meat.. By rolling and tying you can cook it to medium rare to medium and then slice all the way through with each slice having the outer part well cooked, the inner just right, flavour all the way through and no wastage.
As a side issue, raw bones are better for a dog than cooked bones.

Now for the marinade. Depending on the size of the leg I use the juice of one or two lemons, 1 or 2 tablespoons of dried rosmary 3 cloves of crushed garlic or a couple of teaspoons of granulated garlic 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder.
Massage the marinade well into the lamb and marinate the lamb overnight in the fridge turning a couple of times.
Remove from the fridge and bring up to room temperature. (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours) Roll and tie it and cook til an internal temp of 69C (156F). rwst and serve.
I like it with minted onion rings and spanish potatoes and mushy peas.

Regards
 
Mmmmm...Carribean style goat. Ive only had it a few times, and not q'd. It really is good and I can only imagine some nice sweet smoke with that tropical fruity heat. A sauce something along the lines of a mango habinero lime...with fresh cilantro.

Ohhh...Im getting excited.
icon_biggrin.gif
 
Kevin - thanks for the additional ideas. Bryan - I'll definitely let you know if I find some goat. Actually I am thinking about waiting another week to give me time to run down to the Italian Market in Philly. I know they always have lamb there and possibly goat.

Phil - That's what I do with leg of lamb, I.E. remove the bone (I have the butcher do it for me), marinate then tie. Last time I cooked on the rotie. Definitely going to do that again soon. I try your marinade on the next leg. This cook will be a shoulder though, so not looking for medium rare.
 
You can get goat at a halal butcher if no local source is available. There should be one in the city.
 
Ray

Phil - That's what I do with leg of lamb, I.E. remove the bone (I have the butcher do it for me), marinate then tie. Last time I cooked on the rotie. Definitely going to do that again soon. I try your marinade on the next leg. This cook will be a shoulder though, so not looking for medium rare.
Click to expand...

I find this method suitable for a shoulder also. I cook all lamb to the rare side of medium to medium. When I lived in Malaysia I would grill Goat Chops just a brushing of oil and a bit of salt, no rub, no marinade, grilled over charcoal to medium. I can still taste them. A funny story about that, there was a group of us (4 families) that BBQ'd together. I did the goat about 4 times then told them they were eating goat, one friend spat it out and was sick and refused to eat it again, however his comment before that time was it was the best lamb he had tasted.

Regards
 
Though I like goat or lamb shoulder chops med-rare I'm not such a fan of whole shoulder cooked to that point. I like the texture and flavor better if cooked through--though I do not always pull it; often I chunk it after cooking.

Don't you just love peole like that Phil? I have a good friend who loved food. His wife won't even try anything at all unrecognizable--even the mundane.

"I don't like it."

"Um, have you ever had it?"

"No."

"Then how do you know you don't like it?"

"Because I don't."

It's like one is talking to a three-year-old.
 
Originally posted by K Kruger:


Don't you just love peole like that Phil? I have a good friend who loved food. His wife won't even try anything at all unrecognizable--even the mundane.

"I don't like it."

"Um, have you ever had it?"

"No."

"Then how do you know you don't like it?"

"Because I don't."

It's like one is talking to a three-year-old.
Click to expand...
No I don't like people like that, they drive me nucking futs!. 3 year old? That's my 14 year old stepdaughter to a tee.
icon_rolleyes.gif
Lastnight for instance. She loves those the big A$$ Boreshead Garlic Deli Dills from the meat counter. So i pull one of them out of the bag I just bought, mind you she is a pickle freak and has eaten these pickles a 100 times before. To me," what kind of pickle is that Bryan" as she takes it out of my hand, Me "it's a garlic dill" as she gives it back to me. Garlic was the wrong word I said, but as I said before she loves these pickles. So the fast thinker I am, I told her No it's not a garlic dill, It's a Deli Dill, as she took it out back of my hand and ate it up. ***, there's something wrong with that in my book.
icon_mad.gif
 
That's my wife too. Oh well more food for me. my 14 year old well try alot of stuff.

I picked up some boars head hog head meat the other day my wife thought is was the worst thing she ever heard of. I made some kind of greek salad and was eating left over a chopped up and put some of the hogs head in it. I turn around and there is my wife eating the salad. I didn't say a word maybe in a month or so I will bring it up. She watches me pretty close I put deer meat in lasagna once and no one could tell the difference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top